One Day I'll Fly Away
by Pirate.Rent-Head.Jedi Knight
Summary: COMPLETE! After kidnapping a nobleman's daughter, Jack finds himself in love. Though his crew and the daughter's fiance don't seem too keen on that idea... AWE SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

Summary: After kidnapping a nobleman's engaged daughter, he finds himself in love. Though his crew and the daughter's fiancé don't seem too keen on this idea…

a/n: Yeah, yeah, yeah. There have been a MILLION of these stories. The girl finds freedom on the Black Pearl, and Jack falls in love with her, and he goes back on all his previous character traits so that he can marry her, and everybody loves the girl, and blah blah blah. But you know? Hopefully this one will be different.

* * *

Chapter One

Celeste Satine sat at her dressing table, staring intently into the mirror as her sister Marie fastened a string of pearls around her neck.

"Cherie, you look beautiful. He's yours! And by tonight, you can join the ranks of the married and engaged with me." Celeste touched the necklace at her throat with a small smile. _Cristián loves white pearls_, she thought. Marie pressed her cheek against Celeste's and gave her an affectionate squeeze. They heard hurried footsteps and the door flew open. Their mother rushed in, hair fly-away, skirts askew.

"Celeste!" she cried frantically, as she was wont to do. Their mother was never calm, never quiet—not even in her sleep. "Monsieur Correales is pulling up! You have no time to waste! _Vite! Vite!_" she gasped. Celeste sighed quietly and rose from her seat.

"Oui, Maman," she said patiently. With one last glance in the mirror, she clasped Marie's hand and the two of them squealed, as sisters do. She took a breath for composure and floated down the hall and down the staircase where Cristián waited. She paused to look at him. He was everything she could ever have imagined. Cristián was the son of a wealthy Spanish merchant. Their marriage had initially been arranged for them, and Celeste was sure she would refuse him, as she had all the others. But he was different. His brown eyes were warm and intelligent. His brown hair curled slightly at his ears—she loved that. He was soft and caring, and always considerate of her feelings. He had told her from the beginning that he would like to get to know her before proposing marriage, and from that moment, she was his.

He turned at the sound of her footsteps, and a grin burst on his face. All thoughts of propriety gone, she flew down the stairs and into his arms with a cry. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. The two of them quickly separated and looked to see Lord Satine smiling good-naturedly. Celeste smoothed her skirt, Cristián coughed, the two of them stifling broad smiles. They walked into the library and sat together. Cristián took her hands and smiled.

"Celeste, I—you—" he sighed and hung his head. He touched the pearls at her neck. "You are like a pearl. Perfect, white, and beautiful. A pearl is one of the most precious things on God's earth. And I would—well. Nothing would make me happier if you would be my pearl."

"Well," she said solemnly, withdrawing her hands, "I just don't know, Cristián. I mean, I am a woman of noble birth. Surely I could do better than the son of a merchant. I mean, we had some fun, didn't we?" He looked shocked, his mouth hung open, like the toy bird that she'd had as a child. Celeste burst out laughing. "Cristián! Of course I'll marry you, you lunatic!" He scowled at her. She pacified him with a kiss on his cheek. He took a box from his pocket and slid a simple silver band with a white pearl on her finger. She smiled.

* * *

Celeste woke to the sound of cannons. Her eyes flew open and she rushed to her window, flinging them open. In the ocean, firing upon the fort, she was the silhouette of a ship. _Pirates!_ She flew to Marie's room where she sat, rocking her screaming child, Thérese. She was quickly followed by her hysterical and pale tight-lipped father. She knew better than to try and say reassuring things. She maintained a calm exterior while fear clawed and wrenched through her stomach. Suddenly, someone pounded on the door. Celeste couldn't help but jump in fright. Another crash, and they heard the door being forced open. Her mother began to wail with Thérese. Silent tears rolled down Marie's cheeks. Her father put his head in his hands. Nobody dared move. Celeste searched for a weapon and found nothing. The fear swelled, crashing like waves, threatening to engulf her. She could hear the pirates moving ever loser, raiding each room as they went, laughing and making lewd jokes on their way.

They reached Marie's room and blasted open the door. Lady Satine screamed. Someone kicked open the door and a swarm of mismatched pirates—including a midget and a man with a parrot—rushed into the room, some already laden with money, jewelry, and other things of value. Their pistols were drawn, and a smile was on more than one face. The family huddled into the farthest corner of the room. Celeste stood erect before them. A round man with a dirty faced and gray-streaked hair and beard cried, "They're in here, Jack!" Slow, ominous footsteps came ever closer. The men respectfully parted for who must be their captain.

If she hadn't been so utterly terrified, Celeste would have thought him quite handsome. He stood talk and proud, half-smiling, half-sneering. Gold glinted in his teeth. Beads and other trinkets hung from his hair and various places on his person. His most striking features, however, were his smoldering, brown-black eyes lined with kohl, making him look ever the more sinister. He swept a dingy-looking hat from his head into a deep bow. "My Lady," he said, addressing Celeste. He stepped forward and kissed her hand. She jerked it away, repulsed. He smiled. "I thank you for your hospitality." Rage replaced the fear, and she saw red. _The nerve of that pirate! I'll show him hospitality!_ She spat in his face. He stepped back, looking outraged, amused, and shocked. His men took a threatening step forward, guns raised. The captain motioned with his hand and they were lowered. He laughed at Celeste—a mirthless, dangerous laugh. "Mercy cannot rob justice. Have you heard that phrase, my Lady?" She stood silently before him. "For your crime, justice must be served."

"I've committed no crime, sir!" she cried.

"Such blatant disrespect of a Captain of the sea is an act of treason."

"As is storming and raiding a port of France!"

"My Lady, I grow tired of this. For your crimes, you must be punished. Normally, this is punishable by death. But I think for your spirit and courage, especially compared to this stuffed-shirt band of cowards, imprisonment will have to do. A life sentence, I should think." Her mouth fell open in shock.

"But—Captain, I am to be married!" He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Oh, well that changes everything. In that case, sixty years in prison." His men laughed uproariously. With a wave of his hand, two dirty men, one short and fat with stringy hair, the other tall, lanky, and looking like he had a wooden eye, flanked her and took her roughly by the arms. She shouted and kicked, putting up a fight.

"Darlin', I wouldn't recommend that. Me knife might accidentally slip with all that fighting you're doing," the fat one said in a raspy voice. The tall one laughed stupidly. She was noticeably quieter after that.

Sitting in the boat that would take them to her prison, Celeste couldn't help but be awed. It was painted black, every inch of it. Black, tattered sails hung from its masts. Despite its ragged appearance, it emanated a sense of majesty. Her captor caught her staring and smiled.

"Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Mademoiselle." She averted her gaze, determined not to be impressed. The captain laughed.

She was hauled aboard and roughly brought to a small room the size of a cupboard.

"Excuse the size, love. We weren't exactly expecting a lady on board. Unless, of course, you'd rather share quarters with the crew." They laughed. She was "placed" inside, and the door was slammed and bolted behind her. She looked at her dark surroundings. She fell onto a pathetic little cot. Unable to hold them back, quiet sobs filled her room.


	2. Chapter 2

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Oops. Jack's not in France, and I forgot to explain that. But I will in this one. Unless I have a lapse of stupid-ness.

* * *

Chapter Two 

No matter how she tried, Celeste was unable to sleep. What little rest she got was fitful and uneasy, and woke from terrifying dreams that left her gasping. After a time, she stopped trying.

The next morning, she sat with her back resting against the wall, knees drawn to her chest, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. She was startled by quick, insistent pounding on her door. She wiped the tears from her face, and stood before the door, jaw set. The door swung open, and the man with graying hair stood before her, the midget beside him.

"'Morning, miss. My name is Gibbs, and this here's Marty. The Captain asks that you meet him in the Captain's Quarters after you've eaten and changed."

"Changed?" Gibbs held out a bundle with a pair of boots sitting on top. The one called Marty set a tray of food on the floor beside her with a smile. Celeste raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't dawdle if I were you. Captain Sparrow doesn't like to be kept waiting." The door was closed. Curious, she looked inside the bundle. There was a pair of breeches, a white shirt, a thick strip of red cloth for a belt, presumably, and a dagger. She took a sharp breath at that.

Once dressed, she was furious. The "shirt" Captain Sparrow had given was that of a common wench! It was about two sizes too small, clinging tightly to her. The shoulders were non-existent, leaving her feeling exposed and nervous. Unfortunately for Mr. Sparrow, not nervous enough to quell her rage. _Oh, he won't be waiting,_ she thought, pulling on the boots fiercely.

* * *

Jack couldn't say exactly why he had sailed to Africa, and the French Porte Oiseau. It was where the compass had pointed, and so that was where he went. Niether could he tell why he had taken Celeste on board the Black Pearl. She was beautiful, yes. Spirited, certainly. But she was, after all, the daughter of a Lord—a _French_ Lord at that. She had no skill outside of dancing, chaste flirting, how to communicate, the art of gossip, and discerning a good match from a poor one. She was nothing like anything he had ever seen. She certainly lived up to her name—Heavenly. She gave off an ethereal glow, as though she were one of God's own angels. 

He was still astonished at her boldness. It was a rare woman indeed who would spit in the face of a pirate, especially one as renowned as he. It seemed she was as brash as Anamaria had been. But Jack preferred not to think about her. Her spirit could either be a good thing for him, or a thorn in his side. Violent pounding on his door indicated the latter.

"Come in," he called, poring over his map. The door was kicked open and Celeste stomped over to his table.

"Mr. Sparrow!" she shrieked, "I—" He interrupted her with a raised hand. He could hear her fuming, but she held her peace. After a time, he put down his compass, pushed back his chair, and put his feet on the table.

"What can I do for you, My Lady? My tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are troubled."

"Troubled," she said, shaking with fury. "Troubled? I'm outraged! I will not be a wench for your crew, Mr. Sparrow!"

"_Captain_ Sparrow. Jack. You can call me Jack. And what might your name be, My Lady?"

"I don't think—"

"Your name?" he asked, interrupting her. She sighed, resignedly.

"Celeste Marguerite Selene Satine," she said tightly.

"Such a great name for such a slight lady." And it was true. Everything about her was long and slim. Her intense green eyes tended to fix themselves on you and claw there way inside your deepest thoughts. Now, they were flashing with anger. They were long and wide. Her lips were full and pouting, a pleasant pink color. Her hair was long, thick, and the color of a chest of gold coins, and just as shining. Celeste caught him staring.

"Well?" she said, impatient.

"Beg your pardon. Sometimes I get lost in me own thoughts." Celeste snorted. "Well! What do you do? Can you cook?"

"I—well, a little, I suppose."

"Marvelous! Then it seems you have a job! The men should keep you enough company." She paled. Jack laughed. "They're friendly enough. If talking's not your fancy, then spend some time with Mr. Cotton!" She left to the sound of his wild laughter, slamming the door behind her. Jack shook his head and went back to his map.

* * *

Celeste had worried about talking to these strange new people. She was a painfully shy person; the outburst in Captain Sparrow's rooms was unusual for her. Her shyness often got her in trouble, making people think she was so high-and-mighty. No doubt the trouble would increase two-fold as she was their prisoner, and would likely take her silence for insolence. But as far as things went, she left them alone, and they left her alone. The midget, Marty, she thought, never failed to smile at her, and she felt bad for looking at him so disdainfully that first day. As she was fixing their dinner a few days later (in a _normal_ shirt; Jack had not been deaf to her cries), she heard Mr. Gibbs talking to some of the crew. She hadn't had any intention of listening until she heard, "That French girl…" 

"I tell you, she's bad luck! A _woman_ aboard! I thought Jack had learned better when Anamaria left."

"Who knows? Maybe another outburst like that, and he'll get so upset, he'll throw her overboard!" The men laughed.

"I'm not so sure. You know Jack—ever the gentleman. We may have to do it ourselves." Celeste's hand flew to her mouth. This trip was going to be more trouble than she had bargained for.


	3. Chapter 3

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean. _Oh, also, this time, I don't own _Moulin Rouge!_, either.

a/n: Oh, man, I'm sorry. I've just had rehearsals every single night for the past two weeks to get ready for the opening night of our musical, which was Thursday. But, now that that's done, and my auditions for another one are done, I'll be better. I hope.

* * *

Chapter Three

Despite her worries, life carried on for Celeste much as it had at home—tedious and repetitive. In the morning, she cooked breakfast, stayed silent in the galley as they ate so as to avoid their nasty glares, washed their breakfast dishes, and set to making their lunch. Between lunch and dinner, she had some time to herself, usually spent asleep in her room. Since she was brought aboard, whenever she tried to sleep in the dark, the terrifying dreams that had kept her awake that night never failed to return. She was woken by pounding on her door and demands for dinner. Nights were spent at the foremost end of the ship, staring and thinking. She frequently imagined what her family was doing. More often, she thought of Cristián. She missed him desperately. Tears constantly flowed down her cheeks as she twisted the ring on her finger.

* * *

"Lady Satine, I have every intention of finding your daughter and bringing her home. We shall be married by the end of the month, as planned," Cristián said.

"Oh, bless you!" she said, kissing his cheek. He smiled, and stepped aboard the ship he had bought to seek his bride, _Le Emmener_.

The morning after the pirate attack, Cristián had raced to the satine manor to be sure they were all right. What he found was far more bleak. Lord Satine stood talking to a militiaman, his wife and Marie sitting on a sofa, eyes red-rimmed. All their faces were ghostly white with fear.

"Where is Celeste?" he asked, suddenly paralyzed with terror.

"They've taken her. Those slimy brutes have kidnapped her." Cristián froze. His face was drained of blood. He imagined he looked very much like her family.

"Where is she? On what ship was she taken?"

"They say one captained by Jack Sparrow. The Black Pearl," Marie said, voice shaking. Without another word, he whirled out of the room, searching for the next ship to the Caribbean.

* * *

Jack had always been one for the night, especially aboard his precious Pearl. His best ideas came like revelations as he sat, often in the crow's nest, watching the path his Lady carved through the silky black water, the two onyxes coming together at a shining point reflected in the moonlight. He took the night shift for this very reason. He was usually alone, but sometimes was joined by Gibbs. One night while dozing, he heard some music. It was minor and haunting, its melody flying on the wind. As far as he could tell, there were no words. He looked over and saw a tall white figure on the bow. He had a fleeting thought that it was a ghost, but realized it was Celeste. He thought to say something to her, but decided instead to sit back and listen for her to stop. She never did until the sun rose, then she quietly retreated into her quarters, where the door always remained closed.

* * *

Her nights on deck were often spent singing. At home, she was a renowned soprano, and often called upon to sing at parties and gatherings. She knew she was good, but always blushed with embarrassment and pride at the praise of others. On the Black Pearl, she had started singing nursery rhymes her father had sung to her for comfort—very quietly, almost under her breath, so as not to be heard. But her songs grew louder and more confident once she was sure no one was listening. Sometimes she sang songs she knew, other times she sang music without words. Often, she composed her own. She had grown fond of one particular piece she had written and frequently sang it, tears flowing, hair whipping behind her, a song for Cristián.

"I follow the night. Can't stand the light. When will I begin to live again? One day I'll fly away—leave all this to yesterday. What more could your love do for me? When will love be through with me? Why live life from dream to dream, and dread the day when dreaming ends?"

She felt an arm snake around her waist and stiffened with fear. She whirled around and held the knife she had been given to the offender's neck.

"Steady there, Ellie! Its just old Jack!" he cried. Celeste relaxed and breathed heavily in relief.

"Jack, you scared me," she reproached.

"Forgive me, darling, it wasn't my intention. The two stood leaning on the railing, watching in silence. "Where did you hear that song?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"I wrote it," she said bluntly. Jack nodded.

"Are you truly unhappy here?" Celeste was surprised by his question.

"Shall I be polite, or frank? Never mind, I'll be both. Captain Sparrow, your ship is a fine one, and I shall enjoy working on it for the rest of my life." She gave him a saucy smile and a cocked eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. "To be frank, I do not care for your men. They are dirty, rude, and frightening. I have no companionship. I don't care for the sea—" Jack looked as though she had slapped him again. "However, it really is a beautiful ship, and you captain your men well." He stared at her for a long while.

"Hm."


	4. Chapter 4

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: You guys hate me, because I'm such a loser, and that's okay. But you know, I'll just never be the author who updates every day. But I'm trying because I have lots of time now. Once a week? Every two weeks? I'm not sure, but that's about a good estimate. I'm always really sorry, though. And reviews make me go faster….

* * *

Chapter Four

And so her days continued exactly as before. At nights, however, she often found herself spending time with Jack. He was interesting to talk to. She enjoyed listening to his stories about sacking ports without firing a single shot, escaping mutiny on sea turtles, fighting for his life against a skeleton army, being swallowed whole by Davy Jones' fearsome beast, and escaping from the hellish Locker. She knew they were only stories, meant to entertain, but she loved them all the same. Her favorite was to hear of William Turner who sacrificed his love for Elizabeth Swann to keep a promise to his father who had been bound to the Flying Dutchman. After stabbing the heart of Davy Jones, he became the infamous ship's captain, bound to ferry souls lost at sea to the other world, allowed only one day every ten years to spend with his wife. She often asked for this story, and cried every time she heard it.

"Well," he said haughtily on evening, leaning against the railing, "enough about me and my fabulous adventures, what about you? Tell me everything there is to know about you. Your favorite color, tell me about your family, and the fluffy young lad you're engaged to marry." Celeste was caught by surprise.

"I don't—" she began.

"Ellie," he interrupted with a hand to her lips. She frowned at him.

"My name is Celeste."

"Yeah, I know. But I like Ellie better," he said with a smirk.

"My, you're _quite_ self-assured, aren't you?" she scoffed.'

"I told you. Enough about me." She rolled her eyes. "Well, come on! I want to hear about your dashing, stuffed-shirted boy-lover. Tell me every detail about his dripping nose, his dimpled cheeks. Every sentiment from the top of his plumed head to the bottoms of his shiny new boots. Indulge me." She heaved a melodramatic sigh.

"My dashing, stuffed-shirted boy-lover is hardly my lover, and he's hardly a boy. He's twenty six and—" she was interrupted by raucous laughter, punctuated periodically by snorts. She scowled. "Anyway!" she said above his chortles. "He's a Spanish merchant's son, very well off. And he's handsome, caring, and adores me." It was Jack's turn to scoff.

"So, you're going to marry this _boy _because he's rich and worships the ground you walk on? Now, that seems a bit selfish to me, and incredibly shallow. Don't you two even _talk _to each other? At all?"

"We talk!" she protested

"I mean about anything besides what Mademoiselle Fluff wore to this ball, or how much Monsieur Pompous paid for a barrel of fish?" Celeste was speechless.

"I—we—" she stammered. He smiled.

"And what do you expect to happen on your wedding night, I wonder?" She turned red.

"I know what happens," she snapped, trying to seem haughty. Jack stepped closer to her—uncomfortably close.

"So? Are you looking forward to this event, or is there an element of fear?"

"I'm not afraid!"

"There's not physical contact between you two, is there, outside of your hand through his arm as he guides you around the ballroom like a little show dog?" She turned away. He grabbed her shoulders and whipped her around. She stared determinedly into his face. He spoke surprisingly softly. "Somebody ought to kiss you, Ellie." He lowered his head and gently kissed her lips. He broke away and quickly strode away back to his cabin. Celeste stared at him, bewildered.

* * *

Jack paced his room, pulling at his hair and beard, rubbing a hand across his face. Now, Jack was not a man to regret his actions. He was a man who charged headlong into everything he did, regardless of what the consequences may be. But he regretted this. Women you saw everyday were trouble. You slipped up just once, and they assumed you had fallen madly in love with their feminine wiles, and start clinging to you and talking about love, and marriage, and all the little children you were going to have together. Now that was a horrifying thought in and of itself. He groaned and fell back on his bed. Yes, women were trouble. They teased you, making you think they genuinely liked you, then left without a trace. If Annamaria had taught him anything, it was that love was not a very nice thing. He sometimes thought that Davy Jones had the right idea with Calypso. _Its no matter, _he thought. _I'll just laugh it away tomorrow like it was nothing. Which it is. Nothing._ He rolled his eyes. He couldn't keep from babbling even in his mind. A nice bottle of rum was just the thing for right now.

* * *

Celeste stared after his retreating form. She raised her fingers and touched her lips lightly. She was, to put it bluntly, infatuated, shocked, and confused. _Why would he do that? _she thought. _Surely he has no feelings for me. I'm a spoiled rich daughter of a French Lord and he's, well, a pirate!_ But there was no denying, she definitely felt something for him. It was no wonder—he _was _rather dashing. And smart. And funny. Not to mention the only man on board besides Cotton who never threw nasty remarks at her. She had come to think of him as a friend. She found herself looking forward to their nightly talks.

But what if he hadn't meant it? What if it were all a sick, cruel joke? _Tomorrow_, she thought, _I'll just act like nothing happened. He'll never know._ She shook her head and reluctantly made her way back into her room.


	5. Chapter 5

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Florencia7, this is for you.

* * *

Chapter Five

The next afternoon, Jack found Celeste cleaning the deck. With a haughty laugh, he clapped her on the back. She jumped. He laughed again and steered her around the deck as he talked.

"Well, Ellie, it occurred to me last night that you haven't been on a proper raid yet. Now, that must be fixed immediately. What do you say, boys? How's a nice raid sound?" he barked. The men let out a joyful shout. With an evil smile, he placed a pistol in her hand. She felt the blood drain from her face. She shook her head.

"Jack, I can't do this. Can't I just stay in my room while you raid? I—I can't!"

"Nonsense! What if a cannon explodes it? Then where will we be? No, you'll stay right here and help."

"But—" she protested. He put a hand to her lips. Instead of frowning, she blushed, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Jack. He felt a twinge of guilt, and a little something else he couldn't identify. He masked it well, however, with a smirk.

"Ellie, trust me. You'll be fine. The Black Pearl can stand against anybody, even an armada from the East India Trading Company." She rolled her eyes.

"A _story_, Jack." He frowned.

"You just stick with old Jack," he said, ignoring her comment, deciding to let it go. This calmed her fears, but not by much. Her tramping about on the Pearl was the first time she had ever been outside high society, let alone in a _battle_. She couldn't swim a stroke, and feared she would drown. Then she would never see her family again. _Or Cristián, _she added as an afterthought. She looked down instinctively at the ring on her finger. Jack called for her to follow and she quickly obeyed. He barked some orders at the men who scurried happily to get them done. She heard none of it, so loud was the pounding in her ears.

"And what is the name of our victim, Mr. Gibbs?" Jack asked, a gleeful look in his eyes. Gibbs looked with the same expression as Jack as he lifted the spyglass to his eye. It quickly fell, and he hesitated to reply. Jack noticed. "Mr. Gibbs!"

"It's the Revelador, Captain," he answered hesitantly. Ellie saw the muscles in Jack's jaw tighten.

"Pintel! Ragetti!" he shouted. The bumbling fools rushed forward with a mock salute. "I'm going to need you to go aboard, find their _captain_," he spat with a sneer, "and bring her to me. Understood?"

"Aye," they nodded, hurrying away. Celeste put a hand on his arm. He jerked it away with a hiss. Realizing who it was, he smiled softly.

"Apologies. The captain and I have… a history, you might say." She decided not to press him on it, and instead gently smiled. He stared at her for a long while, before putting his arm around her shoulders and calling some more orders. Celeste saw Gibbs looking at them with a glare. She stared defiantly back. _I am doing nothing wrong,_ she thought.

The Revelador and the Pearl faced each other, both seeming to wait for the other. With a motion of his hand, Gibbs screamed "_Fire!_" and the cannons erupted in a clash of fire. The cannons of the enemy ship returned fire, wood splinters flying. In a flash of fire and smoke, Celeste saw the small room where she slept explode into nothing. She was suddenly grateful for Jack's order to stay where she was. The reality of the battle tore through her. She seemed, however, to be the only one afraid. The men were smiling and laughing in the fray. Jack was stony, his arm remaining around her. He seemed to be searching for something on the ship. She saw a woman standing in the riggings of the Revelador, wind whipping her hair, staring at them.

The battle raged, and the fear that had gripped Celeste before was beginning to slip away. Before long, men swung from both ships onto the other. Jack sprung to action, leaving her side. The terror came fleeting back without the anchor she had in him. She cocked the gun, and with a tiny prayer, fired into a man swinging in her direction, gun drawn. To her joy, he fell with a cry into the water. She let out a laugh. She knew, however, that she wouldn't be much help, and cowered out of the way, firing whenever she could. She hit few, but offered a momentary distraction. Several men gave her a begrudging nod of gratitude. Darting her eyes around the ship, she saw Jack engaged in battle with a dirty looking man. Behind him was another who had his sword raised, looking to strike.

"Jack!" she screamed, firing her gun, hoping it hit him. Jack sliced into the man he was locked in battle with, then whipped around to see the one who sought to strike from behind fall with a dazed look. He looked at Celeste with a look of pride and relief. She smiled, and returned to her cover fire. The fighting was wild and confusing. She couldn't see much. There was gunpowder in the air, and fire falling like deadly rain. She heard a shout.

"_Ellie!_" She looked up and saw a man coming at her with a drawn sword. With a scream of terror, she desperately searched for the dagger that she kept.

It wasn't there.

Knowing her death was coming, she knelt to the deck, head bowed, rivers of tears flowing down her cheeks. But it never came. She heard a clash of metal and saw Jack's sword blocking the other's mere inches from her head. He pushed the man off and plunged his sword into his chest. She let a sob of relief and stood, hugging Jack gratefully.

"Now we're even," he said.

The fight didn't last much longer. Pintel and Ragetti soon came aboard, the woman she had seen in the riggings bound with them. Jack thanked them and stared at her with a glare.

"Annamaria." She spat at his shoes. With a look of fury, he whipped away. The woman looked at Celeste. At that moment, she understood the phrase, "if looks could kill." She was confused, but rushed to follow. The men of the Revelador were beaten back and sent back to the broken and torn ship. The Pearl quickly retreated, the men shouting and laughing in victory. They gathered to where Jack was. He looked tense and angry, despite the battle's outcome.

"Ellie. We'll have to find you somewhere else to stay. Annamaria," he said again. She looked at him, jaw set. The two stared at each other for a long time. "Put this nasty, betraying fishwife in the brig." Pintel and Ragetti hurried to obey, glaring at the prisoner.

"No," Ellie cried. They all looked at her, angry. "She'll have my place."

"Ellie—" Jack began.

"She's the captain. She deserves better than the brig. She will have my place." Jack strode over to her, standing close, threateningly. He was shaking with suppressed anger.

"Fine," he spat, then whirled away to his quarters.


	6. Chapter 6

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Holy crack, another reviewer?! AbbieNormal182, you win, too!

* * *

Chapter Six

It was becoming intolerable. That _woman _was practically running this ship! With a mere quiver of her bottom lip, she could get Jack to do anything she wanted him to. It was ridiculous, and needed to be stopped. Maybe Annamaria's capture would be more fortuitous than expected.

* * *

Jack paced his room, silently fuming. _She _was back. That siren he had hoped to rid himself of long ago was back, tainting his ship and his mood. He fell into a chair with a sigh and scrubbed his face with his hand. It was too much. He suddenly smiled. Celeste had definitely been something. He hadn't expected her to openly defy his orders. _Again_, he thought. It was a little bit ridiculous, really. Not that she had spoken to him that way; he had come to expect it from her. No, the ridiculous thing was that he wasn't angry! Any other person would have a nice breeze blowing through his innards if they had dared to question his orders. In Celeste, he found it funny and charming. _You're getting soft, Jacky. Or lonely._ He shook his head and left.

* * *

It was surprising really. They had just finished a raid—a _battle_—and the men had returned to exactly the things they had been doing before, as though nothing had happened. These people never failed to amaze Celeste. She shook her head and returned to her bucket, about to continue cleaning the deck. She thought it best to blend in as much as was possible. The mop she usually used to clean was gone. In its place was a filthy old rag. She looked around, thinking she had misplaced it. Several of the men were smiling or openly laughing at her. Then she knew she hadn't misplaced it.

"Oy!" one of them called, pointing out to sea. She looked, and floating in the water was her mop. She was furious, but knew better than to start a fight or to bother Jack with something so trivial. Shaking with rage, she picked up the filthy rag, and continued her duties. Life was not looking up.

That evening, as she was cooking their dinner (she contemplated spitting in it all the while), someone stumbled in. She looked up and saw Annamaria, looking sullen.

"Captain says I'm to assist you," she said. Ellie nodded.

"You—you can wash those, if you please," she stammered, indicating a pile of dishes she had neglected that morning. Annamaria snorted.

"If I please! If I _pleased, _I wouldn't be here, would I?" Ellie had nothing to say to that. They worked in silence, her shyness and wariness choking her. There had to be a reason Jack hated her. She felt frequent looks coming at her. "Well?" Annamaria demanded. Ellie jumped. She laughed. "I just wanted to know your name." She smiled in relief.

"El—Celeste."

"Celeste? You don't seem like any Tortuga wench working your way on a ship I've ever seen. How did you come to be aboard the Pearl?"

"I'm a nobleman's daughter. Jack sacked our port and took me with him as a punishment for my quick tongue."

"Captain Jack rarely takes prisoners. 'Less he's got something to gain," she added bitterly.

"Well, I must admit, I don't quite understand it myself. It's not as though I could be of any use to him." Her train of thought was cut off by laughter. She whirled to see Annamaria giggling in her corner. "What?" she demanded.

"You're _pretty_, lass! _That's _why he's taken you. Not out of spite!"

"But I'm not that kind—"

"Oh, ye may not be that kind of girl. You don't have to be. Sometimes he just likes something to look at. Celeste just laughed and shook her head.

* * *

Annamaria was like no other woman Celeste had ever seen. She was loud, funny, impolite, and surprisingly easy to talk to. She was everything Celeste wished she could be. It wasn't long before the two were fast friends.

That night, she found herself at the bow once more. Waiting for Jack, though she'd never admit it. Sure enough, he came swaggering down the deck. She smiled.

"Well, darlin', we've found you a new place to stay," he said, looking down.

"And Annamaria?"

"She has sufficient quarters," he said shortly, closing the subject. Ellie retreated. "Do you not care where _you'll _be staying?" She looked at him. He refused to meet her gaze. "You'll have the Captain's Quarters," he mumbled. Her mouth fell open.

"Jack, I—I can't possibly—I mean, you—I—_Jack_!" He looked out to the sea. "Jack, those are _your _rooms." He met her eyes, a frown line appearing at his eyebrows.

"Ellie, I won't be with you, if that's what you're concerned about." She put a hand to her forehead with a sigh.

"No, Jack. I know. It's just—_you're _the captain, and I—I'm the farthest thing from it!" He put a hand to her cheek.

"You have more influence than you realize," he said softly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He looked at her for a long while. The look on his face suddenly changed. He blinked a few times, then turned and strode away after placing a key on a string in her hand. She couldn't help but feel they were quickly falling into a pattern of confusion.


	7. Chapter 7

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: I'm seriously speechless this time…

Wait, I lied. Not speechless. I just have a note on pronunciation. Its pronounced MAH-ree. Not like Mary. MAH-ree.

* * *

Chapter Seven

She unlocked the door to Jack's—_her _room. She gasped in astonishment. She knew that Jack was not a simple man, but she hadn't expected anything like this.

It seemed that whatever was too big to be twined into his hair was put in that room. On the wall hung a shrunken head, a lock of black hair with the occasional grey strand bound with string and tied to a cross at the end, much like Jack's own hair, a singed and water-damaged piece of black cloth with an "E," an upward pointing arrow, an "I", and two branches coming from the arrow. She didn't know what the bottom might have said, as it had been burnt off. It seemed Jack was a great reader; he had piles upon piles of books, laying everywhere on tables and across the floor. For as many books, he had a map. One map caught her eye. It was wooden, round, and splintered at the edges. It didn't make any particular picture, but was composed of many thin circles. She shook her head. Next to these maps was a simple black compass. She opened it and watched it swivel quickly to her left. After a moment, it swung around and pointed almost directly behind her. It didn't stay there long before hovering right back to where it had pointed before. She frowned slightly and put it back. In a corner, she found a bunch of mangled up rags and cloths that looked like they had been chewed on. It looked like a small animal's nest, like a cat or a monkey. Nestled in the folds was a gold coin with a strange looking skull that seemed to laugh at her. On a small, round table next to her was a strange, reef-like thing shaped like a nose. She looked at it, confused for a great while, then decided it was a coincidence. Beside it lay a smooth, grey-white rock. Not for the first time, she shook her head.

Celeste searched through his books and found something on sea legends, primarily on Calypso and Davy Jones. She sat onto his bed, then fell back in surprise. It was decidedly more… plush than something she thought Jack would sleep in. But then, as always, Jack never failed to surprise her. With a small smile, she settled back into his many pillows and began to read. Before long, she fell asleep. She faintly thought that it smelled _very _nice in that room….

* * *

After she woke the next morning, Ellie about killed herself after slipping on one of many empty rum bottles strewn about the floor. She took the book he had been reading the night before and set it on a desk. She looked, and sitting on it was a thin braid of gold-brown hair, a few shades darker than her own. Next to it was a note in very refined script. "You _are _a good man. Lizzie." She frowned at it, and heard a laugh.

"Don't worry about that, love. That one's married. She whirled around to see Jack leaning against the doorframe, laughing at her. She opened her mouth to reply, but was swiftly interrupted. "But I can't help but wonder why a note from another woman would get your noble self in a bind. Have you at last fallen for my unfailing charm and magnetism?" She glared at him, but it could not hide the blush that crept across her face. Jack laughed at her again.

"Oh, ha ha," she said, rolling her eyes. She walked down to the galley, Jack taunting her all the while down. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Annamaria. She set her jaw and glared at him. They stared wordlessly at each other, Celeste standing between them, confused. Each seemed determined not to turn their back on the other. Tension crackled like the air during a thunderstorm. Ellie half-expected her hair to stand up. Annamaria slowly turned and went back to washing the pot she had been before. With a glint of triumph in his eyes, Jack turned and sauntered up the stairs, head held high. Annamaria let out a snort of fury and muttered something about being "hoity-toity, too good to even speak to me! Too proud to apologize, so he acts like nothing happened?" She slammed the pot into the cupboard it belonged.

"Mari," Ellie said tentatively. She had, at Annamaria's insistence, taken to calling her Mari. _"If Celeste is too long a name for your regal self, then Annamaria is much too long a name for dirty old me,"_ she had said. "Mari, why do you and Jack hate each other?" She didn't respond for a long while. She seemed to be considering something.

"Well, if you'd been taken from your men and your ship only to be a scullery maid, I imagine you'd be angry, too," she said. Celeste opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a look. She didn't know much, but it seemed to her there was much more going on than what she was told.

* * *

Not only did Ellie and Jack talk and laugh together, he often asked her to sing for him. She had initially been shy and unwilling, but now she would rattle off songs at the drop of a hat. She had once asked Jack to sing for her, and he sang some sea chanty that listed many different words that all meant the same thing. He tried to teach it to her, but she would get tripped up on the synonyms. She finally gave up and only joined him in "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me." She liked to listen to him sing. His voice was low and husky and pleasant. She liked to close her eyes and listen to the sound wash over her, even though the words spoke of terrible things like pillaging, burning, and raping. And, of course, really bad eggs.

"Jack," she asked him that night, "Why do you and Annamaria hate each other?" His once-laughing eyes immediately hardened.

"You give up a few things for freedom. Others give up you."

"So?" she prompted. He sighed, wishing she hadn't pressed it.

"Anna had been a part of my crew before the search for the Dead Man's Chest. She and I were… close," he said with a smirk. "One day, she just up and left without a trace."

"Did you love her?"

"Love is a matter of perspective. I thought I did, she proved me wrong," he said with a shrug.

Celeste knew this tactic all too well. He made light of it, pretending he didn't care. The lighter it was spoken, the deeper it was felt. She had used this tactic many times, and could see that Mari had wounded him far deeper than he would ever admit. She gently kissed his cheek in what she hoped was a comforting way. He continued to stare into the sea, without reaction. She wondered if he had even noticed, but saw his look soften. It was the closest thing to a blush she knew she'd ever get from him.

"Well," he said cheerfully, "it seems to me that poor little rich girls like yourself should be asleep." He threw his arm around her waist and fairly dragged her to his—_her! _rooms as she loudly protested. He shoved her in. "Good might, My Lady," he called with a laugh.

* * *

If anything confused her more than men, it was herself, her thoughts chased each other around and around until they became no more than a tangled mess that no one, least of all her, could understand. When men and her thoughts collided, she was left lost and upset at the fact she couldn't even make sense of her own mind. Throw Jack into the mix, and she was left with a full-blown enigma. At this point, she cared little about how Jack felt about her, as long as she could figure out how _she _felt.

What her thoughts told her was this: Jack was a pirate. He was also her kidnapper, and the reason she was separate from her family. _And Cristián_, she added. He was also kind and intelligent and funny and… so many things. She sat at a table and rested her chin on her hand, letting her mind drift. _"You have more influence than you realize…." "You're _pretty _lass! _That's _why he's taken you!..." "Somebody ought to kiss you…."_ She shot up with a start. _Oh, Lord, _she thought. _I've fallen in love with Jack Sparrow._

* * *

The crow's nest on a clear night had always given Jack some measure of peace. Not tonight. That saucy little French girl had grabbed a hold of him and twisted as hard as her delicate white hands would go. He couldn't deny it anymore. He couldn't keep lying that he gave her his cabin because she's a noble, and not in the hopes she would invite him in some night. He couldn't pretend that he stayed up night after night with her because he was lonely when he had never sought company before. He was forced to admit that everything about her—the way her nose crinkled and she softly snorted when she laughed, how the fact that the top layer of her hair was as straight as a pin and the underneath layer softly curled drove her crazy, that her voice rose in pitch and volume when she was upset or passionate about something, that she had a different laugh for every occasion, everything!—drove him crazy.

If it weren't for that damn pretty-boy fiancé he was sure _wasn't _waiting for her! Jack didn't expect the boy, _Cristián,_ he sneered—to come after her. he would engage himself to some other pretty face within the week, while Ellie sat and waited, perpetually twisting that damned engagement ring.

But the thing that infuriated him the most was not that she was beautiful or that she was waiting for nobody to save her, not even the fact he had fallen in love though he had sworn never to do so again. No, one thing bothered him more than anything else.

It didn't bother him at all.


	8. Chapter 8

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Oh, friends. We are nearing the climax and the end. I'm thinking 3 more chapters, unless some completely amazing strikes me, which is doubtful. But sequel(s?) are definitely a possibility, so give me your take on that.

* * *

Chapter Eight

"You're strangely quiet, Ellie. I haven't seen you this quiet since you thought I was going to kill you!" Mari laughed. Ellie was silent, fighting a smile. "Well, what's wrong with ye, girlie?"

"You lied to me," she replied simply. Annamaria was taken aback.

"Lied? I've done no such thing!"

"You never told me you and Jack were lovers and that you just up and left him without a trace!" Annamaria's look hardened.

"That's all what he told you?" she asked in a dangerously low voice.

"It was enough."

"Now listen, you, and listen well," Mari said angrily. She strode to Ellie and spoke harshly in her face. "Jack Sparrow is nothing but a drunken womanizing fool. Its all he's ever been and all he ever will be. Of course you know all about the trail of broken hearts he's left behind, and you're staring at the most famous dead in the face. I didn't just _up and leave_. He told me he loved me, and that there would be no other woman for him. And I believed him." Her voice had become hushed and full of sorrow. Ellie, being an easily swayed girl, couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"So what happened?" Anna whirled to face her. She had always been quick to anger.

"He lied to me!" She pounded her fist on the table. Ellie jumped in fright. "I saw him! I saw him with a nice, saucy little wench on each arm, laughing with them and going off to some _inn_! Of course I left! I didn't want anything more to do with him. I took a ship and I flew as far and as fast as I could so I would never have to see his face again!"

"I just can't believe that about him, Mari. I can't believe that he would ignore something like that for a common prostitute." Ellie was surprised to see Annamaria laugh cruelly.

"Oh, the dear little bird has fallen in love," she laughed. "The pretty rich French girl and the ruthless but charming pirate who is her kidnapper." She continued to howl in laughter. Ellie blushed in shame and embarrassment at having her secret found out so easily. "You listen to me. If you were smart, you'd forget all romantical thoughts that may be flitting about in that sweet young head of yours. Jack Sparrow loves himself, and will do whatever it takes to get whatever he wants—especially if what he wants is a new woman. Its happened to hundreds of girls, many far prettier than you. What makes you think you're any different?"

"I'm not," she whispered sadly. Mari felt a twinge of guilt at Celeste's dejected form. She put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, girlie. You're far more interesting, intelligent, and constant than he ever was or ever will be." Ellie nodded and smiled weakly.

"I've gotten a headache," she said, using the most frequent excuse from home. "I think I'll lie down for a while." Mari rolled her eyes.

"As you wish, Your Highness. I'll just finish down here, shall I?" Ellie laughed.

* * *

When she had finished washing the last of the dishes, she walked toward her room. She was taken from behind and pulled into a corner, a foreign hand clamped over her mouth.

"Whatever you do, _don't scream_," a low voice said, releasing the hold on her mouth.

"I won't," she snarled, launching her foot backward into the offender's groin. He howled in pain and released his hold on her. She swiftly turned, drawing a dagger and holding it at his neck. "_Gibbs_?" she asked, blinking in surprise. She removed her knife.

"You're quick," he gasped. "Quicker than I remembered." She put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Is there a reason you've manhandled me if you don't intend to rob me of my maidenhood?" she sneered. Gibbs laughed.

"I knew I always liked you. That's why I've come to bargain with ye." She raised an eyebrow. "Ye know I'm a little bit of the superstitious sort—" (she snorted) "and its frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard. _Two!_" he shuddered. "My old bones would feel much better if there were one less female."

"It's a very fine idea, but don't you think Jack would notice the second I left his ship?"

"Not you! The girl. She's got Jack wrapped so tightly around that jeweled finger of hers its enough to make a man sick. The crew and I want her gone—now. We make port in a few days, and there's no way he'll let that pretty little thing go of his own accord, so we want to _make _her leave."

"How?" she scoffed. "By holding a gun to her head? She'll scream and Jack will come running, and you'll be dead before you hit the deck."

"Oh, she'll leave of her own will, the same way you left." A small gasp escaped her mouth. "I confess, it was I who boozed Jack up and set those pretty little wenches on him. Do ye not remember who pointed them out?" Anna was furious.

"You! You ruined my life! You made me miserable! I can't believe—!"

"Ye can't blame an old superstitious coot for tryin' to save his own skin, can ye? Now listen. This is what I want ye to do. Go to Jack, sweet talk him, bring him some rum, and get him back. I'll make sure his sweet little lass sees, she'll leave the ship, you'll have Jack, we both win!" He thrust his hand forward. "Do we have an accord?" She stared at it, conflicted.

"What about Ellie?"

"What care you about a snobby little twit like her? You'll have Jack again. You'll be mistress of the Pearl again. What does a girl matter against those?"

"Let me think about it." He nodded, and slipped away into the shadows. She walked away, feeling confused, unsure, and tired from her explosions at Celeste.

Celeste. She felt bad about even considering doing this to her. She had come to think of Ellie as a friend—a surrogate sister. She regretted her poisonous words she had spit at her. But she was far too proud to apologize. But while there was Celeste on one side, there was the possibility of Jack on the other. When she had been younger, her father had left her and her mother. She had vowed never to let a man in enough to hurt her again. But Jack had been unlike any other many she had ever met. She fell in love, hard and fast. The chance to get him back was almost enough to completely ignore her friendship with Celeste.

She shook her head. She was no betrayer. She sighed. It hurt—giving Jack away again—but she had to do it.

* * *

Mari stepped on the deck. She liked the way the wind tore at her hair, pulling with invisible clawed fingers. It gave her a strange, feral feeling that she could do anything. She twined her limbs into the rigging of the ship. The wind pushed at her, making it sway dangerously, giving her a perverse thrill. A wild grin stretched across her face. She let one hand go and leaned back as far as she could. One rare, sincere laugh escaped her mouth. It was sharply cut off by a glance downward. At the head of the ship, Jack stood, trapping Ellie between his arms and the railing, laughing as she half-heartedly pushed him away. Even in the dark, Anna could see a flaming blush cross her cheek. She said something to him, and their uproarious laughs carried on the wind to her ears. A wild like snarl rumbled in the back of her throat. She leapt onto the deck and ran down to the crew's quarters. Gibbs' pudgy form lay splayed on his hammock, snoring loudly. She punched him angrily in the gut. With a gasp, he rolled off and hit the floor with a thud.

"Blast you, its bad luck to wake a man when he's sleeping!" he roared.

"Be quiet," she snapped. He blinked in surprise at her tone. "I'm in," she said, turning and walking away, fighting angry tears.


	9. Chapter 9

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Okay. Now, it so not okay to make excuses, but I'm going to do so anyway. My computer crashed, and that's why you haven't been getting the customary one chapter a week. I'm so sorry so sorry. Also, I'm on vacation, and will be gone for two weeks. I hate to do this to you; it pains me as much as it probably doesn't pain you. Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

Jack sat at a desk, studying a map. The only way Ellie would take his quarters was if she used them solely for sleep and they would be his at all other times. He was getting restless. Simple raiding was all well and good, but Jack was not a simple man, and often needed something bigger to occupy his mind. _Especially now_, he thought bitterly.

The door opened slowly. Jack looked up with a smile, expecting to see Ellie. It was Annamaria. She had a sultry smile on her lips and a strange look in her eyes. As she leaned against the doorframe, she allowed the neckline of her shirt, unusually low, to slide off her shoulder. He swallowed.

"What?" he managed to snap. She walked to his desk, hips swaying. She leaned across the desk invitingly.

"Oh, Jack," she clucked, moving around to behind his chair, toying with his dred locks. "No need to be so angry." She moved her hands down to her chest, loosening the neck of his shirt. "Why are we playing like this? We both know how we feel about each other." He tore away from her to the window. He stared out it angrily.

"You mean how we _felt_," he said, his tone ridden with pain.

"Oh, Jack," she said despairingly. She walked behind him and encircled his waist, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He shuddered, but didn't move away. "Jack, please. I'm _sorry_ that I left! Forgive me. I just—I _saw _you! You and those wenches," she trailed with a stifled sob. He turned to face her.

"Me and those wenches," he snorted. "You seem to have conveniently forgotten you and that vendor at the market. Anna, I was there looking for a proper _wedding ring _for you. I found you in an alley having a fine time." She opened and closed her mouth. She shrugged with a weak smile. "I went to them to forget _you_, and how things were."

"But they can be that way again!" she said, taking his face in her hands. She stared into his eyes and kissed him.

* * *

Ellie leaned against the mast of the ship, retreating into the book she had been reading before. She often found herself drifting off in thoughts of her nights with Jack. A quiet smile crept across her face. A shadow loomed over her. She looked up to see Gibbs looking down at her.

"There's something you should know. Follow me." She stood, curiously obeying. He led her to Jack's cabin. The door stood ajar. She looked to Gibbs for direction. He nodded, and she looked through the crack. It was Jack and Mari.

"I was there looking for a proper _wedding ring_ for you. I found you in an alley having a fine time. I went to them to forget _you, _and how things were," he said savagely.

"But they can be that way again!" Mari said. Ellie watched them breathlessly. She kissed jack. Ellie gasped, covering her mouth in hurt and horror. She whirled around, tears stinging her eyes. She ran into Gibbs.

"Oh!" she gasped, trying to make her way around him. He unexpectedly drew her to him in a comforting embrace, awkwardly patting her back.

"Ye should have expected it, lass. He's said it countless times: he's Captain Jack Sparrow. And one thing's steady with Cap'n Jack; he loves his rum and his women. Besides, you're just a mousy little rich girl. What use has he for you? He needs a woman like her—strong, haughty, forceful. You're too usel—delicate. And, of course, with their history together—"

"Thank you," she said huskily, butting him off. "But you've enumerated quite enough reasons why I'm not good enough for the Captain." He looked at her with pity, and almost felt a twinge of guilt. Almost.

"What will ye do?" he asked, not denying her claim. She gave a humorless bark of laughter.

"Stay on the ship and tend to Jack and his Lady. After all, I've been given a life sentence."

"No! And subject yourself to years of them two being cozy, maybe having little Sparrows? You'll go crazy."

"Well, what choice do I have?"

"Leave," said Gibbs, leaning forward, conspiratorially. "We make port tonight. When its dark, take what things you have and skip off. He won't know 'till its too late." Ellie bit her bottom lip in thought. She didn't want to leave the Pearl. It had become her home. She had taken to the sea rather better than she had expected. However, she knew that Gibbs was right: watching those two would drive her crazy. She nodded slowly.

"That's what I'll do. Thank you," she said in a carefully controlled voice, walking calmly erect for a place to be alone.

* * *

_What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing_, Jack thought as Annamaria kissed him. _Nothing good_, replied someone in his ear. He took hold of her shoulders and pushed her off. She fell backward with a cry.

"What are you doing?" she shouted, as he took hold of her elbow and dragged her toward the door.

"What I should have done before you ever started talking." His calm voice was a sharp contrast to her violent hysterics.

"Jack, _what are you doing_?" she screamed. Don't you want things how they were? You're ruining everything!"

"That's the problem, isn't it? _I don't want it_. Anna stared at him as tough he had slapped her in the face. She refused to cry. "I won't throw you off this ship in nothing but a dinghy; Ellie likes you too well—" He was cut off by a sharp snort from Annamaria.

"_Ellie_," she spat. "Always sweet little Ellie and what she wants! But she'll never have what she really wants. You'll never let her."

"I'll take her back home eventually," he mumbled.

"No! Not home, twit! _You_. She wants you, stupid girl. But you'll never let her have you. Just like you wouldn't let me," Anna said softly as she walked away, leaving Jack speechlessly mouthing nonsense to himself.

* * *

Her situation was pitiful, that much was clear. Ellie was a practical girl, given to thinking things too much. She realized that once she stepped foot off that ship, she would have no place to go, nothing to do. It was daunting. She stood at the familiar railing of the ship, staring at the glittering port of Tortuga. It didn't look promising, and she was terrified. But with a look back at Jack's cabin where who knew what was going on gave her the courage she needed. She glanced around to be sure that nobody was looking, then set off.

"Ellie!" Jack's voice cried. She froze. It hurt to hear his voice. She told herself to keep going, but she couldn't. She was completely immobilized. He strode quickly to where she was. "What are you doing? Where do you think you're going?" he asked, gesturing to her small, pathetic little sack that she carried. "You owe me a lifedebt, remember?" he joked. What she had lacked in movement, more than made up for in words. She spouted them off, unable to stop herself.

"Jack. I can't. I can't stay here while you and Mari—Annamaria are together. I love you too much. It would kill me to see that every day. Seeing you alone, and knowing I can't have you is one thing. Its quite another to see you with another woman. I'll never have you, Jack Sparrow, and I know that. I don't have enough to offer. I'm not pretty or smart or funny or anything enough to hold your attention. But if I had to watch you loving another woman day after day, I just… I couldn't… I—" she said, stopping as her voice cracked. She stood straighter, determined to remain strong. She took Jack's hand and shook it firmly. "Captain Sparrow, I thank you for your hospitality and for introducing me to the world of piracy. I hope to have great success with it, thanks to your… introduction." She turned to walk away, but he took hold of her arm and swung her around to meet his gaze.

"Celeste," he said, shocking her. He never said her name. "Celeste. Do you really think I brought you aboard as punishment for spitting in my face and being insolent? If that were the case, half that town behind you would be on this ship with you. And do you think that I just so happen to be wakeful every single night, and that I've got nothing better to do than to listen to you sing? Do you really think that I kissed you that night because somebody ought to and hey, why not me? Celeste—Ellie, you've done what no other woman has ever done. I've fallen in love with you!" They stared at each other. Ellie looked as shocked as he felt, but he knew it was true. He had fallen for a pretty little bourgeoisie. He took a step closer and closed the gap between them. "And," he said, his voice lower and more intimate, "Do you really think that I gave you my quarters so that I could say good night to you every night and part ways?" Without further prompting, Ellie threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the passion she could muster in her slight figure.

* * *

It was a strange feeling, waking up with someone in bed with her, but not an unpleasant one, Ellie thought, as she rested her head on Jack's bare chest. She hadn't intended to sleep with him. She hadn't been raised that way. But when she stepped foot on the Black Pearl, almost everything she had been raised with went out the window. She didn't regret doing what she did. It felt so… _right_ that they had. She looked at his sleeping face. A groggy smile fell across his lips. She gently kissed them and quietly pulled out of the bed, careful not to disturb him. She took Jack's long coat and slung it around her shoulders as a makeshift robe and walked to the window. She opened it and breathed in the air. Her hand instinctively went to the ring on her left hand. She looked at it for a long while, twisting it. Then, she suddenly, violently tore it from her hand and flung it to the sea as far as it would go.

* * *

a/n: yes, yes. It happened. But there is no smut in this story. By all means, imagine it yourself. But I won't be writing it. I don't know… it just made sense to me. I don't know why. It's the most intimate gesture between two people that I can think of, and Ellie and Jack… I think they are there. Anyway, you might hate it, but even if you do, tell me and why you hate it, you know? 


	10. Chapter 10

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the Carribbean_

a/n: Oh, my friends. Yay for reviews.

* * *

Annamaria was a bitter soul. Too many things had happened to her in life not to be. She had lost that foolish naiveté that Celeste seemed to have long ago. She supposed that it went away the same night your virginity did. She snorted to herself. And it seemed that she would have to wait a _long_ time to be rid of it, with her ridiculous notions of what was right and what was wrong. Being bitter was not an easy or pleasant thing to be. It made people wary of her. It made her wary of herself. Rejection such as she was subjected to last night only aggravated her temperament more. She shook her head. She hadn't intended things to go that way. She supposed it was a mistake to assume that he would just take her back, regardless of the things she had said and done. She realized that she would have to fight for him. But then, now that she thought about it, she wasn't so sure that Jack Sparrow was worth fighting for. He was as hard to catch and hold as a breath of wind. She spit the hair out of her face. Looking up, she was surprised to see Ellie come out of the captain's quarters. She had thought she would leave, as was the plan. She was even more surprised to see her come out with a smile on her face. Something was different about her, but she couldn't place it. When Jack followed her out of the cabin, then she knew. He grabbed Ellie's waist and turned her playfully to face him. She did so with a laugh. They looked at each other for a while before he placed a tender kiss on her lips. Anna looked at them in horror and fury. Ellie left him with a laugh. Anna glared at her. Ellie turned away with a shameful look. Anna pounded down to where she was living, and gathered her things noisily. She stormed up to the deck and down the gangplank. 

She heard a cry. "Mari!" It was Ellie. She whirled around to meet her gaze. "You don't have to go! You've done nothing wrong! Its all right."

"You're forgiving me," she said with an incredulous laugh. "You are forgiving me for trying to get back what was rightfully mine to begin with? You are forgiving me for trying to be with the man I love? You are forgiving me for using what little power I had? You think much of yourself if you think that I will ask for your forgiveness for any of those things. If anything, it should be _you _asking forgiveness from _me!_" She shook her head and turned away, back down to shore. She heard Ellie call her name again, but ignored it.

"You, my love," said Jack, as he put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "are unreasonably melancholy. You've just caught the uncatchable Captain Jack Sparrow. If anything, I would think you to be ecstatic."

"Mari is gone," she said, staring after the retreating figure.

"Who?" he asked softly.

"Annamaria. She's left." He followed her gaze to the haughty woman now on shore. He snorted.

"Not such a loss." Ellie sighed.

"No, I suppose not."

* * *

Cristián was becoming frustrated. It shouldn't be hard to find a legendary ship. It had been months since he had initially set out to find his fiancée with no luck. He was an avid hunter, and he was good. But it seemed that Jack Sparrow was better. He didn't understand how a ship with such a reputation couldn't be immediately recognized by anyone who knew of her existence. Besides, how many ships with black sails were there in the world, for God's sake? But as easy as it should have been to catch her, she was increasingly elusive. She left no trace of where she had been.

As a last resort, he had gone to the pirates' port of Tortuga. The men he had hired questioned him as to why he hadn't gone there to begin with, and he had no respectable answer for them. The truth was, he was afraid. He'd had a fear of pirates since he was small and he would hear his father ranting about ships he had lost at their hands, of men killed by them. One ship of pirates he thought he could handle. A whole port of them was quite another matter. He wandered the streets with no less than four men at all times, flanking him on all sides, always well armed. He dressed as he would normally: to intimidate. Although the people here were not intimidated in the slightest by his fancy, I-don't-want-to-seem-better-than-you, but-I-am coat. Really, it was baffling. He had had that coat made for him in _Italy_. The women were appalling, their bosoms falling out of their bodices, pressing themselves up to walls, their faces painted like common prostitutes. Which, he supposed, they were. A few of them sidled up to him and asked if he wanted to "have a good time". He stepped away from them, horrified and embarrassed, asking the ladies to please remember themselves. They invariably stalked away with a laugh. Cristián decided to go to a tavern, Le Bat en Rouge. It seemed the most civilized, as compared to others with names like "The Blushing Bride", or "The Lady of the Night." He scouted a table and sat, surveying prospects for interrogation. He was distracted by a sad-faced woman with black, waving hair and tanned skin at a table alone.

"I beg your pardon, mademoiselle, but you seemed upset, and I wondered if I could assist you." She glared at him.

"I'm not that kind of a girl, _sir_. I can help myself."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to imply that you— that you were—"

"Look. If I promise not to be offended by that vicious attack on my honor, will you shut up?" He looked down at his hands, feeling very embarrassed. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you even doing here? You look like you belong at someone's chateau, not at this place."

"Well, I am actually on a quest, to find my fair lady who has been brutally kidnapped by the horrible pirate, Jack Sparrow!"

"Your fair lady doesn't happen to be named Celeste, does she?" His face brightened.

"Yes, actually! Celeste Satine! She is the lady I seek! Oh, have you seen her?"

"I just left the ship that she's on. Her and Jack Sparrow are quite happy together."

"I—surely you are mistaken, madame. My Celeste is waiting for me, faithfully and patiently. I hope at least the beast hasn't ravaged her." The woman he sat with laughed uproariously. "What is so amusing?"

"Well, you can take comfort in the fact that Captain Jack hasn't _ravaged_ her, at least!" she said, snorting. Cristián wasn't sure whether he should be offended, relieved, or worried.

"Please, where is the ship?"

"I don't know; they've probably left by now. Off on some adventure or another."

"Do you know where?" The lady seemed to be surprised by the desperation in his tone.

"I'm afraid not. But I can help you. I know Jack Sparrow's greatest weaknesses."

"Would you do that? Oh, I thank you!" he said, kissing her hand. She snatched it away.

"Don't do that again. I'll help you on three conditions. One: you never do that again. Two: you stop talking like that—"

"Like what?" The woman's eyebrow rose. She continued with a shake of her head.

"Three:" she continued, "I expect to be paid for this."

"Yes, yes, whatever you want. But time is of the essence."

"You've waited a few months, you can wait a few minutes more," she said. "Annamaria," she said, extending her hand.

* * *

Ellie supposed that the crew was annoyed by her and Jack's behavior. They walked around the deck, her hand in his, stealing kisses, Jack often making dirty comments that made her blush and slap his arm playfully. As much as she falsely protested, she loved it. She loved the attention that he showered on her, the way he was so shamelessly open about his love. At one point in the day, as she was belowdecks cooking, as usual, she heard a cry from above: "I love Celeste Marguerite Selene Satine!" She hurried above to see Jack hanging from among the rigging, a huge smile playing across his face. He let his grasp go. She let out a cry of horror, expecting him to fall to his death. But, in typical Jack manner, he took her by surprise and hung by his knees, laughing at her. She laughed at his sauciness and at herself for believing he didn't have some other trick up his sleeve. She shook her head and returned to her task, smiling. They often played games together, laughing and being generally obnoxious. At night, after her new favorite pastime, they would lay together, his hand tangled in her hair, her stroking his fingers and many rings. They talked about anything and everything, coming from a game that she used to play with society girls called "Truths," before falling asleep contentedly in his arms.

It had been a week since Mari's departure. She sometimes worried about her and what she was doing, but knew that she would find something to do with herself. She always had. It was a normal day, with normal doings. Her face frequently, randomly burst into a smile, thinking of the past night's activities, or something particularly thoughtful Jack had said to her. She suspected Jack had the same dilemma. She heard a call from the crow's nest. Jack's face looked peculiarly humorless. She lay a hand on his chest.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"Strange ship ahead. No colors flying."

"Well, I don't think it will be anything."

"Probably not. But nothing almost always turns into something. Mr. Gibbs! Ready the guns!" he called, pulling away to his duties as Captain. She watched him in admiration. He was certainly a strange man, given to strange actions. His face, speech, even his walk were strange, but he knew what he cared for, and was determined to protect them. He shouted orders, making quick decisions, commanding the respect of all aboard.

"No need, Cap'n! She's waving the white flag!" Rather than looking relieved, Jack frowned.

"Let their captain aboard." Ellie took her place at his side. A plank fell between the two ships. Across it strode the last man she had thought to see again.

Cristián.

"Celeste! My darling, what have these brutes done to you?" he cried as he rushed forward and gathered her in his arms. "Oh, my sweet, I am _so _glad to see you unharmed! What have they done? But no matter. I'll take you home, and we'll be married as planned."

"Excuse me!" Jack cut in. "Who are _you_?" he asked, furious.

"Me, sir? I am Cristián Correales, her fiancé. Who are you?"

"I am Captain Jack Sparrow. Her lover," he stated matter-of-factly with a smirk. Ellie struggled to conceal her own.

"Her—her—Celeste, my love, oh she was wrong! They _have _violated you! I knew it! But its no matter, it isn't your fault. We'll take you home, and everything will be fine again."

"Take her home? Oh, I'm so sorry to ruin this lovely little reunion, but Ellie isn't going anywhere. She's staying with me."

"I beg your pardon, _pirate_. But you have kidnapped her, and I am here to claim her and return her home to her family. They have been positively insane with worry. Now, this can go smoothly, or we can go with her plan," he said, gesturing to Annamaria as she swung from the other ship. Ellie and Jack both tensed noticeably. An evil smile rested on her features.

"Hello, Jack. Ellie."

"Anna," he said curtly. "Monsieur, I'm sorry, but you just can't take her away from me to sail away and live forever to produce your runny-nosed children. It won't happen." Ellie frantically looked for an escape from Cristián's iron grip around her. She saw instead the Pearl silently being surrounded by huge ships, cannon's drawn.

"Oh, Jack. That _is_ too bad. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this but—"

"Will you promise not to hurt them?" Ellie interrupted, looking desperately into Cristián's eyes. "If I go with you, and—and marry you," she said, choking on her words, "will you promise to leave their ship unharmed?"

"My sweet, they've kidnapped you. Don't you—"

"Promise me!" He seemed to be weighing his options.

"Yes, very well. We'll leave them to their fate, and they to ours. Come, Celeste. Annamaria."

"Now, wait just a minute!" Jack protested, taking a step forward. Cristián and Annamaria both drew pistols and aimed them at Jack, who halted.

"Jack, please. You've been surrounded. It's all right. It will be all right," Ellie said, breaking away from Cristián. He looked at her, feeling incredibly helpless.

"But I can't just—" She cut him off with a brief kiss.

"You'll come and rescue me, won't you?" she whispered. He gave a curt nod as Cristián seized her arms again, dragging her off to his ship. Standing at the railing, she stared desperately at Jack's shrinking form as they sailed away. She saw Annamaria make a gesture with her finger.

"No!" she screamed as a ship fired at the Pearl.

"Don't worry, darling. I always keep a promise. It won't be enough to hurt them, but enough to slow them down so that they can't follow." She looked up into the eyes that she had once loved so well, seeing only what Jack had rightly said them to be. Eyes of a boy. The face of a child who would never see her as his equal. She turned back, desperately searching for Jack. She saw the rest of the crew frantically run about their tasks to fix and prevent as much damage as possible. He stood stoically at the place he had been when she had been taken from him, staring at her. They watched each other until she couldn't see his stationary form any more, at which point she crumpled to the deck, sobbing.

* * *

a/n: One more chapter to go, Dollies! 


	11. Chapter 11

One Day I'll Fly Away

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: Yeah. Like I could come up with such an amazing story as _Pirates of the __Carribbean_

a/n: Voila, mes amis. Here we are at the last chapter of my story.

* * *

Jack stood on the deck, watching that bastard Cristián take his—_his_—Ellie away from him to a life that he knew she would hate. A sea of emotions, rage, pain, and fear being among the strongest, coursed through him far more violently than any storm the Pearl had ever sailed through. He didn't dare move, for fear they would overcome him. He stared ahead, watching the ship and Ellie shrink smaller and smaller into the distance. He heard cannon fire and momentarily panicked, thinking the men had shot at the ship Ellie was on. The frightened scrambling of the crew alerted him to the fact that _his _ship had been hit. He made no move.

"Captain!" Gibbs said frantically. "We've been hit! What should we do? Fire?" Jack shook his head, almost imperceptibly. "What then? _Jack!_" Gibbs asked, a touch of panic in his voice. Jack made no reply. He stood silently biding his time until he could safely pursue The Emmener and Porte Oiseau.

* * *

Celeste Satine sat at her dressing table, staring intently as her sister Marie fastened a string of white pearls around her neck. She turned them between her fingers and frowned. _Cristián__ loves white pearls_, she thought. Her once porcelain skin had been baked golden by the son. Her hair had become wild and untamable from being whipped about by the wind for so long. It had taken Marie, their mother, and two maids to pin it back "properly." Her flawless hands had been burnt and calloused from cooking in the unpredictable fire of the Pearl. She was different in every way possible. Marie pressed her cheek to Ellie's and smiled. She half-heartedly returned it. The time on The Emmener and the week that she was home had not been as she once thought it would be. Her reunion with her family was more of a burden than a joy. She was glad to see her family again, but now they disappointed her as they had never done before. Her father seemed like less of a man to her. His fortune had been got simply by being the oldest son—pure luck. He didn't have to work for it. He sat around and read. He seemed fickle. She had always known her mother to be "delicate". She now saw her less "delicate" and more simpering, fainting and wailing and crying at the drop of a hat. The sister that she had looked up to as her model had turned into the thing she had come to want to avoid: the woman that lived solely for her husband and children. She did nothing for herself, for her wants or her joys. Her return home had been a frenetic time of wedding planning, fitting of the dress that her mother had ordered in anticipation of her return, calls from Cristián, and increasing irritation. She felt like a caged bird. Every day she was filled with the hope and expectation that Jack would come and rescue her. That hope was crushed nightly. They were spent awake at the open window, singing mournfully to herself. The plans for her wedding only took a week; each day her hope diminished. It seemed that Jack wanted nothing more to do with her. Her abduction had become a blessing in disguise.

She stood and looked at her form in the full-length mirror. The pure white of her wedding dress no longer suited her. While everyone said she looked "heavenly," she hated it. She felt confined and childish. Like a pearl being sold. Their harried mother rushed in.

"Celeste! Monsieur Correales is pulling up! You have no time to waste!" she gasped. Ellie sighed audibly. Her irritation had become vocal. She had tried to return to her complacent demeanor, but the torture of her life wouldn't allow her to. She walked down the stairs where Cristián waited, that ridiculously boyish grin still etched into his face. Her look hardened; his face fell slightly. She allowed him to hand her into the carriage. As they drove to the church, she tried not to think about Jack, tried not to hope that he would come to save her. Cristián mistook her silence for fear.

"Don't be afraid, darling," he said, patting her hand. "You don't have to do anything until you are ready."

"I'm not afraid!" she snapped, snatching her hand out of his grasp.

In the church, she stood at the end of the aisle with her father, dread consuming her as they walked down to the auctioneer's block. The foolish white roses laughed at her in her hands. Cristián stood before her, still smiling. She vaguely wondered if he did anything else. One hand clasped the ring in his pocket—the price she cost. She stared defiantly at him. When she reached the end of the aisle, he took her hand. They kneeled before the preacher, the ground hard beneath her knees.

"Celeste Satine," the father addressed her after his long-winded speech. "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honor and obey him, to care for him and his children, as long as you both shall live?" She glared at him. The priest looked confused. She turned her head and glanced at all the people watching. Her mother and sister dabbed at their eyes pathetically. Her father inclined his head toward her as if to say, _go ahead_. She looked at Cristián, still looking like such a boy. Dread climbed at her until tears welled in her eyes. This wasn't what she wanted. She wanted someone that would protect her, yet see her as his equal. She wanted someone that she was deeply in love with, and who loved her. She wanted someone that she loved so much that she didn't want to sleep, because she didn't want to miss a minute with him. Cristián wasn't any of these. She sighed. Now was not the time to be rebellious. All of her family, friends, and others from the port were seated behind her, waiting for her to accept. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't deny him.

"I do," she whispered, her words catching in her throat. A single tear rolled down her cheek. The priest nodded.

"Cristián Correales, do you take this woman to be your wife, to protect her and provide for her, to shelter her from the world, and to be a head for her and your children to look to in times of trouble?"

"I do."

"Is there any reason why these two should not be bound in holy matrimony? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"You're damn right, there's a reason! That's the woman I love!" barked a loud voice as the door was shot open. Ellie stood joyfully as Jack Sparrow strode haughtily down the aisle.

"Oh, Jack!" she cried, flying to his waiting arms. He buried his head in her hair.

"Sorry it took so long. Some bastard shot a hole in my ship," he said with a rouguish smile. Without further prompting, Ellie kissed him.

"Now see here!" Cristián cried. Ellie and Jack looked up quickly. Cristián stood furiously, feet planted, the once decorative sword drawn. Jack pulled Ellie protectively to his side. "This is _my _bride, and _my _wedding! I rescued her, and I will marry her!" Ellie stepped carefully and put a quiet hand on his arm.

"Cristián, I didn't _want _to be saved. I love him," she said gently. Rage flashed behind his eyes. He looked at Jack, furious. He was not used to other people taking his things.

"You," he growled dangerously. "You stole my wife. You—you _brainwashed _her!" He moved down the aisle. "You and your disgusting band of miscreants!"

"Cristián," Ellie said firmly. "Stop."

"_I won't_!" he roared, sending her flying with a slap. She fell to the hard stone floor with a thud. The spectators gasped. Jack ran to her side, panic flooding him, and cradled her head in his hands. She was still breathing. He sighed in relief and stood looking at Cristián, murder in his eyes. Cristián himself looked like he couldn't believe what he had done. Jack drew his sword and brandished it menacingly.

"That was the _last _thing you'll ever do to the woman I love." He moved forward to strike, but was stopped by a cry.

"Jack, don't!" He looked back and saw Ellie on the floor, hand outstretched beseechingly. "Please! You'll be arrested," she pleaded. With another glare at Cristián, he turned and moved back to Ellie. He gathered her in his arms.

Cristián couldn't believe what he was seeing. His bride and a _pirate.__ If I can't have her,_ he thought, _no one can._ He drew his pistol and pointed it at the pair wordlessly. Jack held Ellie tighter, turning his body to shield her from the shot. Annamaria, who had been quiet and still at Cristián's side up to this moment, tore across the hall in front of Jack. The gun was fired, she was struck, and fell with a cry. Ellie gasped and looked at her bleeding chest. She fell to her side, brushing the hair off her forehead.

"Come on, Mari, you're fine. Stop playing, this isn't funny," she said, her voice shaking. Mari said nothing in reply, but with a shaking hand, stroked Ellie's cheek. She turned her head, ashamed of her betrayal. "Mari, no! You did what you had to! Its all right! You're all right!" Her voice was beginning to rise in pitch as she lost control. Annamaria looked back at her, a river of tears coursing down her face.

"Forgive me. And love him—as I could not." Ellie nodded, unable to speak anymore. Annamaria smiled, and with a deep, contented sigh, closed her eyes. Ellie stared at her, disbelieving.

"Mari. Mari!" she cried. "Don't you _dare _leave me! Don't you dare!" She felt a hand on her shoulder. She violently tore it off and collapsed on Annamaria's body, sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. This was her friend, her _sister_, and now she was gone. The same hands that had tried to comfort her lifted her off the body. She fought them off with her fists, clawing and slapping at the person. It pressed her face into its chest, comforting her and stroking her hair. Realizing it was Jack, she collapsed.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go. We'll sail away from this horrible place. We'll fly away. Far, far away to where nothing can ever find us," she cried. He looked at the people staring at them. He knew their kind—Celeste's kind—and knew they had different rules. He held her at arm's length and wiped a tear from her face with his thumb.

"All right. Let's go. But while we're here, and all your lovely family is here to see, I ask you to marry me. Right here. Right now." Her eyes widened in surprise. Jack Sparrow was not a marrying man. And he was asking her to marry him. Love and joy filled her body at his request. She loved this man. He was so wonderful, so willing to do the things he thought she wanted. But she was a different girl. Jack Sparrow was not a marrying person, and now, neither was she. She smiled and shook her head.

"Jack Sparrow, I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth." He looked as though she had struck him. She laughed. "What I mean is, I have no desire to marry _anybody_." Her family gasped in shock and outrage. "You've given me freedom! After a while, I'd feel too tied down, and so would you. I don't want either of us to have any emotional baggage should one of us decide to leave." A broad grin spread across his face. He was for the first time in his life, speechless. Without a word, he kissed her soundly, her family shocked, appalled, and secretly pleased as they looked on.

* * *

Their escape back to the Pearl was unremarkable. They met minor opposition from Cristián's men leaving the church and sprinted their way back down the hill to the docks. Once onboard, they made a hasty retreat. After the action died down, Ellie returned to her customary place at the head of the ship. She glanced around her and saw Gibbs watching her. He inclined his head respectfully.

"I thought it was bad luck to have a woman on board," she teased.

"Aye, but frightful more unlucky to have a melancholy captain," he said. They shared a smile, and he turned away. She violently tore the pins and ribbons that restrained her hair and let it whip in the wind. Jack looked at her solitary figure with a smile. He walked over and embraced her from behind.

"As I recall, My Lady, you told me that you don't much care for the sea," he whispered in her ear, teasingly. She playfully slapped her arm.

"Yes, but you care for it very much. And I couldn't very well have one without the other, could I?" He laughed and kissed the skin between her neck and shoulder. She sighed in contentment.

"Where to, love?" he asked.

"Bring me that horizon, Jack," she whispered.

"All that and more," he promised.

* * *

a/n: The end!! Yay! That was really fun. There is the possibility of a sequel or two, the second featuring the Turners, depending on my mood and response. Thank you so much to my reviewers, especially to Florencia and AbbieNormal!! You two are amazing!!! Eternal love, and I'll see you in the Carribbean!! 


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